Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
Ver. 13. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman] The gospel of peace brings with it the peace of the gospel, and with peace plenty, with the horn of salvation the horn of plenty, a confluence of outward comforts and contentments, as in Solomon's days and Constantine's (whom God prospered and blessed beyond all that he could have wished, saith Austin, Bonus Deus Constant tantis terrenis implevit muneribus quanta optare nullus auderet. De C. D. l. 5, 25), and Queen Elizabeth's whom, for her care to propagate the gospel, he made to be the happiest woman that ever swayed sceptre, as her very enemies were forced to acknowledge: so liberal a paymaster is the Lord, that all his retributions are more than bountiful; and this his servants have not ex largitate, sed ex promisso, out of his general providences, but by virtue of a promise, which is far sweeter. The Masorites have observed, that in this verse are found all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet (as also in 26 more verses of the Old Testament), Hebrew Text Note to note, say the Calvinists, that in the kingdom of the Messiah (In instauratione casulae Davidicae collapsae) there shall be great abundance of all things, et plenum copiae cornu: or, if that should fail, yet plenty of all spiritual benedictions in heavenly things, Ephesians 1:3, and contented godliness, 1 Timothy 6:6, which hath an autarkeia, a self-sufficiency; so that having nothing, a man possesseth all things, 2 Corinthians 6:10. This the prophet expresseth in the following words, by many excellent hyperboles, though (to say sooth) Christus et regnum eius non patiuntur hyperbolen. All words are too weak to set forth the worth of Christ and his kingdom.
The plowman shall overtake the reaper] In signis hyperbole, saith Mercer: no sooner shall harvest be ended but seeding shall succeed and that promise be fulfilled, Leviticus 26:5 : all businesses belonging to the tillage of the ground and the inning of the fruit shall have their fit and suitable seasons; where, under the name of corporal blessings, spiritual are to be understood; and indeed those blessings out of Zion are far beyond any other that come out of heaven and earth, Psalms 134:3 .
And the treader of grapes, him that soweth seed] "Precious seed," Psalms 126:5, sowingseed (as one translates it), drawn out of the seed basket, and cast all along upon the land: the meaning is, that the vintage shall last so long, that the seedsman shall scarcely have time to do his business, for waiting upon the winepress.
And the mountains shall drop sweet wine] Or juice of pomegranates, more delicious liquor than that which the Italians profanely call Lachryma Christi, or that which at Paris and Louvaine is called Vinum Theologicum, or Vinum Cos, that is, coloris, odoris, saporis ortirol, the best in the country for colour, savour, and taste, to please the palate.
And all the hills shall melt] sc. With milk, honey, oil, Joel 3:18, the same almost with this. And the heathen poet (Claudian) hath the like,
- “ Subitis messor gaudebit aristis:
Rorabunt querceta favis stagnantia passim
Vina fluent oleique lacus. ” -